24 August 2018

Keeping Your Shirt Looking Its Best

How should you be caring
for your dress shirt?

Do you
own a favourite dress shirt? If you do, you want the quality of the material
and fit of the shirt to last. Without locking it away and bringing it out only
once a year, how can you care for your dress shirt? From washing it at the
right temperature to storing it without misshaping, read on as CT Shirts give
you their top tips:

Keeping
your shirt looking its best

Because
your best shirt usually only comes out on special occasions, it’s likely that
it will spend more time in your wardrobe than on your back. So, how can you
make sure it stays in top condition and will still look great when you put it
on?

One thing
you want to do is to keep your shirt collar from curling. Thankfully, there are
some things that you can to do avoid it. First of all, it’s often humidity that
causes a collar to curl; the moisture in the room causes the material to change
shape. Try and keep your dress shirts cool and dry or invest in a room
dehumidifier to try and reduce the risk of this happening.

After
washing your shirt, make sure that you don’t leave it sitting in the washer or
dryer. This can also lead to collar curling due to the damp. Once washed or
dried, remove your favourite shirt from the dryer and let the collar settle.
When your dress shirt is hanging up, a good tip is to keep the top button
fastened — this helps the shirt keep its shape and reduce the curling risk. One
great investment is a collar stiffener. These can be used to try and bend
collars slightly in the opposite direction of the curl and prevent it from
being too obvious.

Make sure
that you get measured before purchasing the shirt and that it’s a good fit. If
your collar is a little too tight around your neck, they’re more likely to curl
and create that look that you really don’t want.

Don’t
cram all of your clothes in the wardrobe when storing them. If they don’t have
space between them, the shape of the shirt can become distorted meaning they
will no longer be as fitted.

One trick
to keep your cufflinks shiny is to keep them in an airproof bag as this prevents
them from losing their shine so quick.

When you
come to iron your shirt, it’s best to steam it whilst it’s still damp. Begin
with the underside of your collar and iron from the outside to the centre —
keep the outer corner nice and taut.

Be careful
when washing

Follow
these tips to avoid any washing machine faux-pas:

Before
putting your shirt in the wash, check it out for obvious stains, spillages or
yellowing. These areas need some extra treatment if you want your shirt to come
out sparkling clean. If you do spot a few of these marks, create a paste with
mixing detergent and water and rub this in — leave it for two minutes and then
put it in the wash.

Remember
to take your collar stiffeners out before washing your shirt. This is
especially important for those with brass collar stiffeners, as they can stain
the shirt and cause issues in your washing machine filter.

You need
to bear in mind that even soft detergent can be harmful. This is why you should
turn your shirt inside out before putting it in the washing machine. You’ll
also want to unbutton the shirt and cuffs so that the buttons do not become
loose during the wash. This can cause them to become damaged and not look as
neat as they once did. Similarly, the hot temperatures of a washing machine can
be harmful to a shirt and lead to crinkling and misshaping — try to keep the
heat low to prevent damage.

Follow
advice from the label

See what
your shirt is made of by looking at the label. If it’s 100% cotton, for
example, many cotton mills advise against tumble drying at all. Instead, remove
your shirt from the machine whilst it is still damp and hang it out to dry.
You’ll probably notice that many of the creases come out this way too.

Is your
shirt non-iron? With these shirts, tumble drying can actually help with the
properties of the shirt rather than damage it.

When
ironing, always be extra careful. Always iron shirts when they are still damp,
perhaps take them off the line before they’re fully dry. Use a steam iron too
if possible as this keeps the material moist. Avoid ironing over the buttons
whenever possible, they can become damaged and crack under the heat of an iron.

And there
we have it! Our top tips! Invest in a collar stiffener, make sure it’s stored
the right way and follow our hints on washing and drying. Remember to always
check the label for product specific advice!

This advice was brought to you by retailers of
shirts and men’s blue suits, CT Shirts